Dad repurposes spare wood into the most wonderful DIY

When limited space is an issue in a living room, it's nearly impossible to incorporate small tables in home decor. This really puts a crimp in things when guests come over and cannot place snacks or beverages on a table. To remedy the situation and use the space available, it's possible to create a sofa armrest sleeve.

Although this convenient solution doesn't provide space for large plates or decorative accessories, it offers a place for a coffee mug or remote control. Anyone with access to a table saw and chop saw can create this woodworking project. Proper measurement of the sofa arm and lumber is key to ensuring the sleeve fits snugly on the furniture.

- 2 spare pieces of wood
- Measuring tape
- Pencil
- White oak lumber 48 inches long, 9-1/4 inches wide and 1 inch high.
- Measuring tape
- Table saw
- Chop saw
- Pencil
- Ruler
- Scissors
- Clear packing tape
- Gorilla glue
- Detail sander
- Sanding block
- Super fine sandpaper
- Paper towel
- Monocoat oil finish
- Cloth

1. Place one piece of wood against the sofa arm closest to seating; place the second piece of wood against the exterior of the sofa arm.

2. Measure the distance between the two pieces of wood. Write down the measurement as it's pertinent to Step 4.

3. Rip the wood. Lay the wood flat in a vertical position. Run the length of the board through the saw, removing approximately 5 inches of its width.

3. Mark the measurement from Step 2 in the center of the white oak lumber. If the distance between the left and right side of the sofa arm is 7 inches, for example, draw a 7-inch line on the center of the board.

4. Draw two triangles at the start and end of the horizontal line drawn in Step 3. These triangle will act as a guide to create miter joints.

5. Measure 5 inches to the left of the "start" triangle; make a mark on the wood.

6. Measure 5 inches to the right of the "end" triangle; make a mark on the wood.

4. Place the lumber horizontally on a chop saw. Set the blade to a 45-degree-angle.

5. Use the lines of the triangle as a guide to make cuts. When finished cutting two lines, adjust the saw and swivel in opposite direction. Make 45-degree angle cuts to the two remaining lines.

6. Make two straight cuts at the mark from Step 5 and the mark from step 6, freeing the wood from the larger board. You should now have three pieces of wood.

5. Place the three pieces on a flat surface. When stood vertically, the two smaller pieces of wood should fit into the cuts of the longer, horizontal board.

6. Lay the boards flat, pulling them together to make a smooth flat surface.

7. Secure the miters together with a long strip of clear packing tape.

8. Flip over the boards, exposing the angled cuts made with the chop saw.

9. Squeeze two lines of Gorilla Glue in the miters. Allow the glue to dry.

10. Squeeze another two lines of Gorilla Glue on the miters, and bend the smaller pieces of wood upward. The arm sleeve should now appear upside-down.

11. Place a piece of packing tape across the top of the two boards, holding the boards together. Allow the glue to dry for 24 hours. Wipe any excess glue away from joints with a paper towel.

12. Remove the tape and prepare the sander.

13. Sand the flat surfaces of the wood.

14. Wrap sandpaper around the sanding block and smooth the edges of the wood.

15. Apply an oil finish with a cloth. Move the cloth in a circular motion to apply the finish. Allow the finish to dry.